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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — rain
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a round shape

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