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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — a price
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. snap — to click

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