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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cap — a lid
  5. swing — music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. file — a document
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bowl — a football final

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