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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — all right
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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