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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — happening now
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. current — of water
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — steady
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — a company
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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