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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — the amount
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. can — a tin

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