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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 · scale · deal · cold · snap · swing · season · bulb

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — in music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — not warm
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. season — in sport
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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