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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to click
  3. band — a music group
  4. mate — a friend
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — electric
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. temple — a place of worship

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