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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. current — of water
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spell — a short time
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spring — of water
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — soda
  24. spring — the season

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