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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: field · lean · calf · kid · ball · current · row · rush

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — for sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lean — thin
  9. kid — child
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — electric
  24. kid — to tease

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