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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to click
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — to recline
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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