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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — ground
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rest — a break
  13. land — to come down
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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