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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — happening now
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — wild animals

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