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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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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: fork · mark · kid · current · calf · fall · dip · file

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — in a road
  8. file — a document
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kid — child
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — the season

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