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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mug — a cup
  15. spell — letters
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a face
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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