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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. lean — thin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — for a lock
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — a list
  24. key — the most important part

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