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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — in golf
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. spring — the season
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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