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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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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: current · fine · wake · tube · spring · pound · leaves · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — a coil
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — of water
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spring — the season
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fine — all right
  24. leaves — of a tree

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