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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. firm — a company
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — decided
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — the tool
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — electric
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — army training
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — steady
  24. ruler — for measuring

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