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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — in cards
  3. race — the arms race
  4. face — part of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — a contest
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. drill — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a music group
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. race — humankind
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — army training
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a rubber band

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