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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — a video
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. current — electric
  10. mug — a face
  11. clip — to cut
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kick — in football

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