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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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