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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · temple · rash · sharp · calf · tube · snap · spell

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to click
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — magic

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