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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — to bear
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — happening now
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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