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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: staff · mate · snap · rest · safe · nail · last · calf

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — employees
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to click
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a friend
  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