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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. hand — help
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — goods
  15. wind — moving air
  16. snap — to click
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stock — shares
  24. wind — moving air

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