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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rush — hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. face — part of the head
  8. last — final
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. snap — to click
  22. last — to go on
  23. board — a committee
  24. face — to point toward

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