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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a cup
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — there
  13. net — after costs
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — happening now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mine — for digging
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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