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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. court — for sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. suit — clothes
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to click
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — to fit

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