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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — happy
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — a box
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — the amount
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — the fish

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