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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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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 · fine · rest · cold · swing · wax · pitcher · safe

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — an illness
  24. safe — out of danger

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