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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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. swing — in golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. shower — to wash

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