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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — of ice
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of a king
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — for sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — electric

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