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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: snap · deal · lie · wave · file · key · bore · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to click
  5. lie — to recline
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a document
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — an untruth

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