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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — of a river

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