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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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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: game · swing · key · chest · calf · foot · suit · snap

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a match
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — the most important part
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — part of the body

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