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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — clothes
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — help
  13. current — electric
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — farmland
  19. rash — a series
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. current — of water
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. field — a subject

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