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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — rain
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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