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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — to breed
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. swing — music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. firm — steady

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