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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. march — music
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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