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

Word bank: cold · wind · fall · current · calf · bay · pass · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pass — a permit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fall — the season

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