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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spell — magic
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — of the year
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — a stone

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