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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a path
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — tied together
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. capital — a city
  24. fall — to drop

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