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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: calf · trunk · season · deal · chair · lie · date · swing

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. swing — in golf
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. season — of the year
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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