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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — hurry
  6. net — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. court — of law
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to bend
  24. net — after costs

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