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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — in music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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