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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — electric
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — to play on
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — the cause
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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