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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: calf · nail · bulb · tear · current · club · hide · lean

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — for golf
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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