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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 120 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: mug · march · lie · calf · saw · band · wound · swing

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — a cup
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a music group
  10. swing — music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — a face
  23. march — the month
  24. swing — to play on

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