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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: bound · snap · staff · dip · scale · pop · calf · land

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — a country
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — to come down
  10. dip — to sink
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — ground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bound — tied together

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