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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. snap — to click
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. key — in music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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