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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rash — a series
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kick — in football
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. craft — boats
  10. fall — the season
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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