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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · toast · mate · calf · bound · snap · mouse · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bound — certain
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. snap — to click
  17. swing — in golf
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mate — a partner

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