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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — finally
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — steady
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — a company
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — a weight
  23. last — to go on
  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