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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 116 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: nail · current · kid · stand · lash · tear · mine · cue

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. current — happening now
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — child
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mine — for digging
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — to rip

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