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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a document
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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