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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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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: cap · swing · foot · lash · ball · mate · calf · wake

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — a hat
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — a trail
  13. swing — to play on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — a friend

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