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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — in music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — the most important part
  20. present — a gift
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — the earth

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