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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · lie · nail · sharp · current · bulb · scale · wound

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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