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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kick — in football
  5. clip — to cut
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — for paper
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — the fruit
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. clip — a video
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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