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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — electric
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spring — the season
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — of water
  24. rest — a break

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