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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: calf · content · object · kick · squash · spell · snap · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. content — the amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. object — an aim

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