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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. snap — to click
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — a stone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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