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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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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: calf · rush · swing · cabinet · wound · mug · cell · current

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cell — a phone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mug — a face
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. wound — an injury

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