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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. snap — to click
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a partner
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cap — a lid
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a hat

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