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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — farmland
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kid — child
  12. current — electric
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — happening now
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. leaves — to go away

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