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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 116 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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — after costs
  16. pass — a permit
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — completely

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