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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kick — in football
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. current — electric
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — of water
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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