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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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