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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. current — of water
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — to keep track
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. spring — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kick — in football
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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