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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pop — music
  3. shower — rain
  4. swing — music
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. object — to protest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pop — soda
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. swing — to play on
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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