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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. swing — in golf
  7. object — to protest
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rush — hurry
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — to visit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  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