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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — the amount
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. content — happy
  18. roll — a cake
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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