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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. current — happening now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — a permit
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — from crying
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tear — to rip
  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