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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cold — an illness
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. cold — not warm
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — in music
  24. object — to protest

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