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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 116 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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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: row · pass · wind · tear · stand · saw · nail · current

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pass — a permit
  11. row — a line
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. wind — moving air

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