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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · calf · face · mark · kid · straw · cabinet · wave

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to confront
  5. kid — child
  6. face — part of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. face — to point toward
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. calf — a young animal

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