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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: snap · squash · lean · bound · sharp · fine · calf · date

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fine — high quality
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young animal

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