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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bound — certain
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — obliged
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mate — a partner
  24. roll — a cake

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