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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. last — finally
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — happening now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rest — a break
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. last — final
  23. kick — a thrill
  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