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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — music
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — in golf
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — a thrill

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