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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. can — to be able to
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bat — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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