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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. deal — to handle
  3. current — happening now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — electric
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — of water
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — an aim

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