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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — in football
  8. rule — government
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. perch — for a bird
  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