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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. present — the time now
  10. current — electric
  11. present — a gift
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — low music

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