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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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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: chest · wind · hand · object · dip · nail · current · rock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rock — music
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chest — a box
  8. current — electric
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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