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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: calf · kick · current · pass · race · fan · game · leaves

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — a match
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — a contest
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. race — the arms race
  21. current — happening now
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pass — to succeed

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