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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — to recline
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — finally
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — final
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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