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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — a subject
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — to cool the air

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