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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — of water
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — electric
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — in football
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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