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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — completely

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