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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: calf · swing · leaves · foot · patient · spring · bowl · kid

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kid — child
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — the bottom

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