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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: sharp · calf · file · land · race · leaves · dip · current

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. land — to come down
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. race — humankind
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — a contest

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