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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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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: mate · file · snap · wind · calf · club · squash · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. club — for golf
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to click
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a document
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — to crush
  17. file — a line of people
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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