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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — in control
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — a price
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — electricity
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — music

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