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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — happening now
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — to wash
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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