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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. snap — to click
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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