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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — a position
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. current — happening now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — to eat
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chip — for betting
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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