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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. march — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. march — the month
  23. dip — to sink
  24. march — the month

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