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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. suit — in cards
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — part of the body

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