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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.

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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: current · tear · racket · wave · leaves · pound

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — of water

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