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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. snap — to click
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a face
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — the fruit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lean — thin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. suit — in cards
  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