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

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to click
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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