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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fork — in a road
  11. shower — to wash
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — for catching
  15. fall — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — electric
  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