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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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Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. degree — from a university

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