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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — in a road
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — electric
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — to hurry

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