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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. swing — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — to protest
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. season — of the year
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. swing — in golf
  18. season — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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