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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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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 · last · snap · mine · cue · charge · rush · row

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — finally
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — to go on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. row — a line
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. last — final
  20. charge — a price
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — electricity

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