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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · calf · cold · temple · file · bulb · mug · current

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — happening now
  4. cold — not warm
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — of water
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. mug — a cup
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. file — a document
  20. current — electric
  21. last — finally
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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