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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — to keep track
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — a path
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. charge — in control

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