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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — happening now
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — electric
  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