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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: rock · stick · hide · current · degree · can · calf · stem

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — electric
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stem — of a plant

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