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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — a price
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. charge — in control
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — a phone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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