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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. pop — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. swing — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — a match
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — there
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. swing — to play on
  24. present — a gift

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