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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. lean — to bend
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — happening now
  24. date — the fruit

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