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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: chair · current · row · pound · shower · plane · mouse · calf

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chair — a professorship

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