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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — letters
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — in music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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