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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — to visit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — electric
  14. object — an aim
  15. kid — child
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pop — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — to protest
  24. face — to confront

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