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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — a break
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — a tin

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