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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a document
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a line of people
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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