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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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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: sharp · kid · current · cell · kick · ruler · suit · prune

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kid — child
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — happening now

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