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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — of law
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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