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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rest — a break
  4. current — electric
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. last — finally
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. last — final

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