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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — music
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. current — electric

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