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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. calf — of the leg

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