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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — happening now
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — to fit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — a measure

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