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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — hasty
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — of water
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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