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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pop — music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. clip — a video
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — of water
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — to cut
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — steady
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. firm — decided
  24. face — to point toward

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