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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — a series
  17. clip — to cut
  18. deal — to handle
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — in golf

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