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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — to rob
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. calf — a young animal

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