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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — a phone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. club — a group
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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