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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rest — what's left

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