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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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468
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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — for paper
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kick — in football
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — of water
  20. clip — a video
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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