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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — electric
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. capital — money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. capital — a city
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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