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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. object — a thing
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. object — an aim
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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