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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — steady
  13. file — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chest — a box

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