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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — to rip
  8. current — happening now
  9. capital — money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to click
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. capital — a city
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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