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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — of water
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ball — a dance
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — a division
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — to handle

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