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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. swing — in golf
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rash — a series
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a trace
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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