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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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 — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — a line
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a face
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. shower — rain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — the most important part
  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