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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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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — a series
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. bass — the fish

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