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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: mate · drill · squash · kid · safe · calf · net · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — to tease
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — child
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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