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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — happening now
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. degree — temperature

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