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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. land — to come down
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — happening now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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