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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. race — the arms race
  4. current — of water
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — electric
  7. race — humankind
  8. rock — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — a thing
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — a contest
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — an aim

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