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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — of water
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — to be able to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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