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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a line
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — electric
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. row — a quarrel

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