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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. present — there
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — high quality
  12. current — happening now
  13. bank — of a river
  14. present — the time now
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — of water

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