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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pop — soda
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cell — in biology
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mark — a grade
  24. snap — to click

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