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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. face — to confront
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — a short time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — of a river

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