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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 116 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: current · hand · calf · mouse · snap · ruler · kid · chair

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — help
  11. current — happening now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ruler — for measuring

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