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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — to tease
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kid — child
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lean — to bend

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