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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 124 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — a video
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — to cut
  11. key — the most important part
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — for a lock
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — for paper
  24. current — electric

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