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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: kick · mate · calf · coach · snap · plane · cold · deal

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cold — an illness
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cold — not warm
  15. snap — to click
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mate — to breed

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