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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — a break
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. land — to come down
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — a country
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — happening now
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — the underground
  24. foot — the bottom

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