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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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468
Word bank
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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — to shout
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — for tennis

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