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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. swing — to play on
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — happy
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — all right

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