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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: current · deal · calf · bound · mine · bulb · lash · file

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. bound — obliged
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — tied together

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