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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lean — thin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cap — a lid
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — of water
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — of ice
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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