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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: toast · bear · calf · current · bound · mate · net · rush

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. mate — to breed
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. toast — bread
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — obliged
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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