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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — a gift
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. current — electric
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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