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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — a box
  5. game — wild animals
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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