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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bowl — a dish

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