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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — of water
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — happening now
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rush — hurry
  16. race — humankind
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — a contest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hand — help
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. plane — a tool

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