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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — for pool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — a leader
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pound — a weight

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