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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — help
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kick — in football
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — of water
  24. kick — a thrill

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