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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tear — to rip
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. net — after costs
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — a law
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — government
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — happening now

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