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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — for betting
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a list

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