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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: staff · net · calf · ball · fan · foot · tear · current

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — electric
  17. net — in sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a great time

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