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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — steady
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — in sport

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