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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — in football
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bark — to shout
  13. season — of the year
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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