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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bound — obliged
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mine — for digging
  17. land — ground
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a friend
  23. current — of water
  24. mine — belonging to me

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