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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cell — in biology
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. fall — the season
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — happening now
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. last — to go on

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