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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: foot · current · board · shower · cell · calf · mouse · kid

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kid — child
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. cell — in biology
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mouse — the animal

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