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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a match
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — wild animals

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