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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: nail · tear · date · cue · current · stick · fine · firm

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fine — all right
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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