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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — in control
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — child
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — to tease
  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