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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 124 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — a list
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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