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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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468
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: mate · swing · snap · dip · rush · net · calf · fan

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mate — a friend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to click

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