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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a line
  3. rush — hurry
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. season — in sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — music
  24. season — of the year

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