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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — happening now
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — in football
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — of water
  24. pound — a weight

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