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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · cap · club · bear · calf · snap · pass · wind

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wind — moving air
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — of the leg

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