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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: game · calf · snap · pit · pop · wave · spell · face

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. game — a match
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to click

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