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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — happening now
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. patient — a sick person

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