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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — a cup
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rule — to rule out

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