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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — a song
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — to tease
  21. swing — music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — for spectators

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