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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a path
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cold — an illness
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — a price
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — in control
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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