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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. row — to paddle
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — electric
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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