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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. clip — a video
  7. wake — a trail
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — happening now
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — of water
  24. chair — a leader

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