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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — to bear
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — electric
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — a phone
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to sink

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