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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to click
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. jam — a tight spot

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