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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · swing · bat · snap · calf · mate · rush

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — in golf
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — a friend
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to click
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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