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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — final
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — finally
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — electric
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. current — of water

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