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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: jam · calf · ground · wave · swing · cell · fall · mark

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cell — in biology
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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