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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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