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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. current — of water
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. snap — to click

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