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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: sharp · swing · can · board · current · shower · tear · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. tear — to rip
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. shower — to wash
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — to get on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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