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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — happening now
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. saw — the tool

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