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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a ring
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tear — to rip
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. band — a music group

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