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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: track · last · rest · arm · clip · mug · calf · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. clip — for paper
  3. track — a path
  4. mug — to rob
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a song
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a cup
  16. clip — a video
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. current — electric
  20. last — to go on
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. last — final

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