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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cap — a lid
  4. shower — to wash
  5. net — for catching
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — a short time
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. spell — letters
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — of ice
  21. net — after costs
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — a young animal

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