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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of a king
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a face
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — low music
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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