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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a document
  4. suit — in cards
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a tool

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