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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — a match
  17. current — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to point toward
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — part of the head

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