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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — temperature
  17. file — a tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — an amount
  24. last — final

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