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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. race — a contest
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bound — certain
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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