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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — an amount
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — clever
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fork — a garden tool

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