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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 124 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — child
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. current — electric
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — crushed

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