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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — electric
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. staff — a stick
  10. field — a subject
  11. current — happening now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — employees

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