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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — a law
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — in golf
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — magic
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — to turn a key

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