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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. face — to confront
  24. can — to be able to

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