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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — electric
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — of law
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — a thrill

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