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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: current · hand · bark · lie · arm · rock · nail · shower

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  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