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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. track — a song
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to click
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — to cool the 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