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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. swing — to play on

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