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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: mug · hand · calf · snap · lean · patient · fork · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to click
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mug — to rob
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — a cup
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — a young animal

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