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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: stock · plane · tear · kid · present · can · current · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — goods
  3. present — there
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — happening now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. current — of water
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — child
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — a gift
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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