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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — electric
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — happening now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spring — the season

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