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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.

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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: last · band · land · face · craft · current · pit · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — a hole
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a music group
  11. land — to come down
  12. current — happening now
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — to point toward
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — electric
  22. last — to go on
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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