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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — music

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