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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: pass · wake · wound · arm · key · current · nail · mine

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — for digging
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wake — a trail

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