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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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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: calf · fork · saw · staff · snap · fan

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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