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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a ring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — happening now
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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