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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — a thing
  15. swing — in golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. object — to protest

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