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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 120 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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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: perch · fall · can · lean · kick · current · race · foot

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — the arms race
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — a measure
  20. race — a contest
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — humankind

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