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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — in football
  8. current — happening now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. roll — on a roll

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