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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — electric
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — to shout
  17. track — a path
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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