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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — electric
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — in music
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — on a finger

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