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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — wild animals
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — to cut
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. clip — a video
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — part of the body

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