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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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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 · current · racket · kid · stick · temple

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kid — child
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tear — to rip
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship

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