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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 116 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 · deal · mark · can · row · calf · cell · saw

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. can — to be able to
  3. row — a line
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. row — to paddle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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