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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. current — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — the season
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — final
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. current — electric
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — a coil
  17. last — finally
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kick — in football
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — to go on

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