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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to click
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — a break
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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