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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: ground · cabinet · wound · pit · snap · leaves · date · calf

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to click
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ground — a position
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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