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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — happening now
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — help
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — of water
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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