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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: track · kick · wave · stock · rock · tear · temple · pound

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — shares
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — in football
  12. rock — music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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