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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. race — humankind
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — a break
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — child
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. present — there

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