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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. kid — child
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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