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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — of water
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. current — electric
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mine — for digging
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — a thing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chip — for betting
  22. object — to protest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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