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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. march — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — music
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. current — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — a stone

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