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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — to protest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. current — electric
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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