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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. row — a line
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — low music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — of the leg

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