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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · ground · current · snap · calf · lie · wound · rash

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. snap — to click
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — of water
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. current — electric
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ground — a position
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ground — the earth

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