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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
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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: foot · tear · lie · current · mark · saw · field · pass

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. current — happening now
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tear — from crying
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lie — an untruth

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