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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: nail · bat · can · ground · saw · rush · fine · current

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. can — to be able to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ground — a position
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — a tin

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