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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — to handle
  10. current — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. last — final
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — electric
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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