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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — soda
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — electric
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — happening now
  13. lean — to bend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — of water
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — the season
  24. calf — of the leg

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