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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — electric
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — to handle
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — to rule out

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