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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — goods
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a hole
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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