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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. land — ground

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