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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — electric
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — the month
  19. current — happening now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — to rob
  22. march — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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