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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. net — after costs
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — child
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — in sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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