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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.

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: arm · current · wind · squash · plane · date · calf · lean

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — electric
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to bend
  6. squash — the sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — thin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. date — the fruit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — of water
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — in geometry

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