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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spring — a coil
  9. march — the month
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spring — of water
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. march — music
  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