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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — magic
  7. last — finally
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — letters
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. last — final
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — a penalty

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