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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spring — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — electric
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — a partner
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. spring — the season
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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