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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: leaves · current · game · bore · kick · stick · hand · track

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — in football
  3. hand — help
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — happening now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a path
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — lets stay

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