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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — the season
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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