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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: ruler · kick · sharp · stick · leaves · nail · chair · current

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — clever
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — in football

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