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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — to come down
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. suit — in cards
  11. club — a group
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — to fit
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — to rip
  22. march — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. current — electric

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