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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — of water
  6. present — the time now
  7. chip — to eat
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — there
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — a gift
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — army training
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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