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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — electric
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pop — to visit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kid — to tease
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

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