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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · spring · current · dip · sharp · stick · foot · craft

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — happening now
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — a coil

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