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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a face
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — electric
  9. chest — of your body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chest — a box
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — of water
  23. mug — to rob
  24. calf — a young animal

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