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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a hat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — of ice
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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