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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — certain
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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