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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 116 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: net · snap · chair · lash · present · saw · calf · pit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to click
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pit — in a race
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time now

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