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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — electric
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — in sport

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