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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — in football
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — thin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — electric

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