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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — happening now
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tear — to rip

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