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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. current — happening now
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — to bend
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a friend
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — to breed
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a ring

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