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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. swing — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — to play on

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