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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — for sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — in football

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