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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. current — happening now
  4. land — a country
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tear — from crying

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