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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.

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: tear · nail · rock · wave · current · firm · plane · wound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — a company
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. firm — steady
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — decided
  24. plane — an aircraft

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