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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · current · racket · tear · object · date · charge · shower

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — electric
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — a container
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tube — the underground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — in a tire
  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