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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 120 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: face · wake · object · hand · rush · snap · calf · pass

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. face — part of the head
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hand — help
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — hurry
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. snap — to click
  24. pass — to spend time

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