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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: can · mate · stick · land · current · tear · band · hide

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a friend
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — happening now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — ground
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — electric
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a music group

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