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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — a permit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. march — music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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