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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. current — happening now
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rush — hurry
  12. swing — in golf
  13. current — electric
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pop — to visit
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — from crying

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