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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — final
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — finally
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — a stick
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — happening now
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. current — electric
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. charge — a price
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. court — of a king

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