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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — of ice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bank — of a river
  21. current — of water
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lean — to rest against
  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