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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 · rush · clip · firm · track · face · current · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — a path
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. current — of water
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — a video
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. face — to confront
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — to rob

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