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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pop — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — the fish
  22. key — for a lock
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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