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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — all right
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — a cup
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. calf — of the leg

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