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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — a line
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — of water

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