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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: calf · squash · snap · fine · wind · shower · bay · suit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — the sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. squash — to crush
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. suit — in cards
  19. snap — to click
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — to fit

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