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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — decided
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — a partner
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. roll — a list
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — to breed
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — a tight spot

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