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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — of a king
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. court — of law
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — of water
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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