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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. track — a song
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young 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