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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — of water
  4. race — humankind
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. race — a contest
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — with a leg

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