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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — a series
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — a coil
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spring — of water

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