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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: wind · tube · tear · current · kid · can · mark · plane

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — happening now
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tear — to rip
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — to turn a key

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