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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — thin

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