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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 · foot · shower · calf · staff · fan · lean · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to click
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cold — not warm
  18. shower — to wash
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. foot — the bottom

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