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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · bear · tear · clip · date · ground · ruler · mug

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. clip — a video
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — a position
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. current — happening now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mug — a face
  24. tear — from crying

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