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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — electric
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — to bend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — to come from
  19. face — to confront
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — happening now
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to point toward

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