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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — electric
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. roll — a list
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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