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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lean — to bend
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — of water
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — music

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