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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — a face
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mug — a cup
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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