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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — a box
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chest — of your body
  12. race — humankind
  13. degree — temperature
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chest — of your body

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