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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — a company

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