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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. net — after costs
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. key — for a lock
  16. current — electric
  17. key — in music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. net — for catching
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a ring
  22. key — the most important part
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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