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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — a position
  4. snap — to click
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lean — thin
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. leaves — of a tree

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