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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. snap — to click
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a cup
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — magic
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. swing — to play on
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — to recline

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