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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — for golf
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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