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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — a weight
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  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