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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. can — to be able to
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rule — government
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rule — a law
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. row — a line
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — of the year
  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