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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. kid — child
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — an aim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rule — a law
  24. current — happening now

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