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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — a position
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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