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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — help
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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