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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. swing — music
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — there
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — for digging

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