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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — a practice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — steady
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. drill — the tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — decided

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