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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — happening now
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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