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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — to breed
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a friend
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a partner

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