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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to click
  4. spell — magic
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. degree — temperature
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — letters
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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