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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — humankind
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — for betting
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — to eat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — in sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. current — of water
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. race — a contest

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