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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.

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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 · land · snap · march · wave · cell · current · kick

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — ground
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. current — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. land — a country
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — of the sea

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