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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. current — electric
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — in football
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — a path
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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