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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pop — soda
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pop — to visit
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — of water
  24. spell — letters

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