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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. race — a contest
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. current — of water
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — of ice

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