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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cold — not warm
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. cold — an illness
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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