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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. cap — a lid
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — to rip
  9. current — of water
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fine — high quality
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cap — of ice

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