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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to click
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — boats
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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