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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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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: bulb · tear · race · nail · jam · current

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — of water
  13. race — a contest
  14. current — happening now
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic

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