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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: cell · ball · jam · calf · rest · toast · swing · bay

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ball — a dance
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — a break
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rest — what's left

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