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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. charge — in control
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a document
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a tool

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