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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — happening now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — rain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — letters
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — on a finger

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