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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: tear · saw · ball · current · pitcher · cabinet · nail · safe

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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