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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: last · calf · plane · bat · pit · staff · snap · object

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. object — a thing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — final
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — in a race
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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