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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: tear · cell · snap · nail · pitch · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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 snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — to rip
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. snap — to click
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. 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