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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. calf — a young animal
  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