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

Word bank: swing · calf · mouse · wax · face · cell · file · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — to play on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chest — of your body
  23. file — a document
  24. cell — in biology

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