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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. race — humankind
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pop — to visit
  8. firm — decided
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — happening now
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — a contest
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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