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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — of water
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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