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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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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ball — a dance
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chest — a box
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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