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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. current — happening now
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — a position
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ground — crushed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. swing — in golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — to play on
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — the earth

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