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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — to recline
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — for paper
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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