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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — happening now
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — of the leg

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