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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a ring
  3. last — to go on
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a music group
  8. last — final
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fall — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — a group
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — a break
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. rest — what's left

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