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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — a coil

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