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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · snap · present · pop · rock · calf · spring · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — there
  8. chair — a leader
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — soda
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — the season

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