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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — to rip
  24. club — for golf

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