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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. suit — to fit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — clothes
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — happening now
  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