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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — electric
  24. pass — a permit

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