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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. march — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — to breed

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