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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. cap — a hat
  4. last — to go on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — finally
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — to come from
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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