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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: file · rest · season · calf · chip · spring · rock · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chip — to eat
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — of water
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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