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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — a box
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. shower — to wash
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. shower — rain
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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