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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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