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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
468
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 · jam · mouse · lean · stand · fine · wound · tear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — all right
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fine — a penalty

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