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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — a position
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — happening now

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