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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: spring · current · rule · kick · pass · chair

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spring — the season
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — happening now
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — a coil
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out

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