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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — the arms race
  6. object — a thing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — electric
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — army training
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — crushed

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