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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — a company
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — steady
  21. last — final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. firm — decided
  24. wave — of the sea

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