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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — a match
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — to lash out

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