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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — a group
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — for a bird

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