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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 · sharp · kick · date · calf · pit · wake · wind

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kick — in football
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pit — a hole
  24. date — the fruit

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