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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a ring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — crushed
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. swing — in golf
  23. suit — to fit
  24. current — happening now

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