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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: snap · cabinet · file · foot · mug · calf · squash · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to click
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. file — a tool

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