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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — electric
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — the season
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — a country
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — to rip

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