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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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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: rush · foot · calf · bay · ground · row · snap · chair

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. row — a line
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — crushed

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