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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pop — soda
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a hole

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