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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — of water
  6. last — finally
  7. current — happening now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cold — an illness
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wake — before a funeral

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