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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rest — a break
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to point toward

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