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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — music
  15. season — of the year
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — to paddle

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