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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cap — of ice
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — electric
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. land — a country
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — ground

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