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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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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: bat · fan · calf · perch · snap · bear · deal · lean

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — in an idiom

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