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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — for sport
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — of a king
  20. pound — a weight
  21. hand — help
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to click
  24. hand — part of the body

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