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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — steady
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mine — for digging
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — of water
  17. present — the time now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. current — electric
  20. present — a gift
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com