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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — electric
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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