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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. current — happening now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hand — help
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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