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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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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: current · bay · fork · chair · nail · lie · degree · arm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — electric
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — happening now
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — of water
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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