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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — to point toward

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