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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 116 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: kid · lean · current · spring · calf · stick · rock · key

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — child
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. key — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — the season
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lean — to bend
  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