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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mark — a trace

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