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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 120 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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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 · foot · tear · bat · rest · rush · sharp · key

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — the most important part
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — a break
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — in music
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rush — to hurry

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