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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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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 · dip · current · bowl · fan · pop · nail · lean

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pop — soda
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — thin

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