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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spell — letters
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — in golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — a stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — to play on

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