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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 · lie · fall · club · leaves · ruler · object

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — a group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. swing — in golf
  21. object — an aim
  22. swing — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — for golf

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