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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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Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hand — help
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — in football
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. charge — in control
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. charge — electricity
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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