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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — to handle
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. lean — to bend
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — to come down
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — ground
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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