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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a great time
  5. race — a contest
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — in football
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fork — in a road
  20. race — humankind
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lean — thin

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