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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 · rock · tear · key · net · calf · can · trunk

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. net — for catching
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — after costs
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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