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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — to go on
  5. present — there
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kid — child
  9. present — a gift
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — steady
  13. race — a contest
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — to play on
  21. firm — decided
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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