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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 120 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ground — crushed
  12. court — of a king
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — the earth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to click
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — a thrill

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