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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a document
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — to eat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. calf — a young animal

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