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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — to paddle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. row — a line
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bound — certain
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bound — obliged
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. land — to come down
  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