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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — hurry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — to hurry

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