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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — a break
  11. hand — help
  12. fall — the season
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — to drop

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