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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — music
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. current — happening now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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