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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — bread
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — electric
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — a price
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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