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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — a position
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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