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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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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: firm · rush · craft · bank · content · lean · current · tear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — happening now
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — steady
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tear — to rip

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