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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kid — child
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kid — to tease
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — obliged

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