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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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Word bank
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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. current — electric
  17. march — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. row — a line

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