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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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