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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — of water
  7. bound — certain
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bass — the fish
  18. object — an aim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — a thrill

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