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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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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: rest · calf · club · rush · stand · snap · firm · mate

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to click
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — decided
  24. stand — on your feet

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