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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · calf · current · fall · band · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — government
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — happening now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — the season
  11. band — a ring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — a law

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