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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: snap · face · nail · field · cue · craft · land · calf

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a signal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — a subject
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — a country
  16. cue — for pool
  17. field — farmland
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — boats

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