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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. field — for sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — to fit

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