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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — help

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