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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — electric
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — of water
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pop — soda
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — employees

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