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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: file · swing · deal · stick · snap · calf · bear · game

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. file — a tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. file — a line of people
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. file — a document
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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