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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — in golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — clever
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. swing — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — the cause
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — a big deal
  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