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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a ring

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