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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: race · swing · lean · jam · clip · calf · mark · chair

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. clip — for paper
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — to bend
  23. clip — a video
  24. jam — in traffic

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