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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · rule · fine · fall · calf · wave

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — in golf
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. swing — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — all right

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