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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — of water
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. last — final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — a trainer

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