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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — of water
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. key — the most important part
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cold — not warm
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the 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