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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. race — the arms race
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — to grow
  16. race — a contest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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