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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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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 · foot · chest · mug · object · cell · row · calf

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. row — a line
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to click
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a face

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