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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rash — a series
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — happening now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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