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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rock — music

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