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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to spend time

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