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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: squash · racket · pound · current · rule · lean · hand · tear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — government
  10. current — happening now
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hand — help
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — electric
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pound — a weight
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — a law

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