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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 124 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — happening now
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ball — a dance
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — obliged
  24. current — electric

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