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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — in control
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — the season
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spring — of water
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wind — moving air

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