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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bulb — for light
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — in football
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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