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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — a leader
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. file — a tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. file — a document
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — to play on
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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