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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. last — finally
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — a permit
  13. current — of water
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. current — happening now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. current — electric
  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