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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — in music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tear — to rip
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pit — in a race
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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