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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · season · shower · wake · nail · dip · toast · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — obliged
  3. current — electric
  4. bound — tied together
  5. toast — bread
  6. bound — certain
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — of water
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — in sport

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