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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — electric
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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