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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — a break
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — magic
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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