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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: net · pop · rest · saw · current · temple · nail · can

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — for catching
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — electric
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — to be able to

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