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

Word bank: current · wake · tear · lie · coach · craft · pound · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. current — electric
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tear — to rip
  18. craft — boats
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pound — for dogs

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