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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — a law
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — government
  24. current — of water

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