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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — happening now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chest — a box
  10. land — ground
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. land — a country
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — of water
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chest — of your body

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