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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 120 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — in control
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. swing — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — a line
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — the time now
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. swing — to play on
  22. field — a subject
  23. present — there
  24. field — for sport

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