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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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rock — a stone

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