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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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. object — to protest
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a great time
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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