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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — a price
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — electric
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. snap — to click
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — in control
  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