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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.

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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: sharp · cap · row · hide · current · calf · band · rock

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — happening now
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. band — a ring
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — music
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. row — to paddle

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