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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 116 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: mine · mate · fine · hide · tear · current · firm · track

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — a path
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — steady
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tear — to rip
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — decided
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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