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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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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: net · hand · rest · ruler · current · kick · bulb · root

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hand — help
  3. current — happening now
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. root — of a word
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — of water
  19. kick — in football
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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