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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. current — of water
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — child
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — music
  13. land — a country
  14. current — electric
  15. land — ground
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — to tease
  24. march — the month

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