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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — to play on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. current — happening now
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — to protest
  24. current — electric

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