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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — bread
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pop — music
  20. current — electric
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — a partner

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