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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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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: current · kick · hide · net · leaves · bulb · cabinet · court

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. current — electric
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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