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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: rush · roll · current · kid · net · kick · wave · nail

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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