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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kid — child
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kid — to tease
  11. current — happening now
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — a position
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — a measure

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