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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — a break
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — soda
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — happy
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a ring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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