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

Word bank: bound · suit · bowl · race · current · wound · nail · file

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. current — electric
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — of water
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — happening now
  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