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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — a coil
  5. current — happening now
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. net — in sport
  17. spring — of water
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — electric
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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