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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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