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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — a law
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — steady
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — government

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