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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: calf · pit · swing · fine · suit · kick · chest · stem

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. swing — to play on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — in football
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pit — a hole
  24. suit — in cards

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