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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. object — an aim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — a position
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — goods
  16. ground — the earth
  17. object — to protest
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — a thing
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — of water

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