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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — to bend
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to rest against

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