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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — rain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. current — electric
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. current — of water
  18. rock — music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cabinet — ministers

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