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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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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: wake · season · cabinet · pound · calf · file · spring · snap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spring — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a document
  21. season — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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