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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: pound · stick · arm · lie · tear · current · nail · spell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spell — magic
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spell — a short time

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