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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — music
  8. file — a document
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — electric
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. spell — letters
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — of water
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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