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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to click
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. wake — a trail

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