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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — finally
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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