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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. last — finally
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — happening now
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — final
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — an explosive

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