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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — a series
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — all right

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