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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. snap — to click
  3. pop — to visit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — soda
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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