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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cold — not warm
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rule — government
  12. cold — an illness
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — bread
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — electric

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