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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. current — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — electric
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — of water
  20. ball — a dance
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — to go away

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