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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. current — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — happening now
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. current — electric
  13. club — a group
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rule — government
  17. club — for golf
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. roll — a list
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — music

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