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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: tear · current · racket · kid · stick · temple · calf · present

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — to rip
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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