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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — final
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — to eat
  13. last — finally
  14. ground — a position
  15. press — a publisher
  16. current — electric
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. last — to go on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — the earth

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