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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — high quality
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — to crush
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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