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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mug — to rob
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — to shout
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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