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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · pound · row · mine · wake · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. current — electric
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a line
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — of water
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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