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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — music

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