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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: mate · ground · kick · object · current · straw · hide · swing

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — a position
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — in golf

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