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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: chip · rest · rush · pitcher · calf · can · spring · current

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — electric
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — to hurry

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