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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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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: calf · face · squash · trunk · spring · swing · content · fine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. content — happy
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — a young animal

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