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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: lean · season · staff · rule · tube · current · kick · fan

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rule — a law
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — government
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — in football
  10. staff — a stick
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lean — to rest against

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