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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. 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. current — electric
  2. content — the amount
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tear — to rip
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. current — of water
  18. 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