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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. swing — to play on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. swing — music

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