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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: mug · wound · pitcher · current · bark · nail · safe · drill

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. drill — a practice
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — a face
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — happening now

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