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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: root · kid · current · tube · craft · rule · object · tear

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — of water
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. current — happening now
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — a container
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — child
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kid — to tease
  15. object — to protest
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — of a plant
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. root — of a word
  24. object — an aim

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