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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — to wash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — happening now
  14. shower — rain
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — of water
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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