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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — finally
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — in control
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. charge — a price
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — to grow
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. last — final

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