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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — to rip
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — of the year
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — happening now
  15. kick — in football
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — electric

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