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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — to shout
  13. kick — in football
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mug — a face
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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