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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.

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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — final
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — steady
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — magic
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — decided
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — a company
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — a stick

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