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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: chest · snap · current · rash · calf · charge · sharp · bay

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — a series
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to click
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — in control
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — a price

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