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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — a group
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rest — a break
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a document
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — in cards
  18. file — a tool
  19. current — electric
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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