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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. snap — to click
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — for catching
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. net — in sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hide — to keep secret

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