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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — music
  8. cold — an illness
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cabinet — ministers

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