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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. board — to get on
  7. current — electric
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — a container
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — happening now

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