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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 120 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 · mate · file · present · squash · sharp · club · calf

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a document
  3. club — for golf
  4. present — there
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — the sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — to breed
  13. squash — to crush
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a line of people
  22. present — the time now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a friend

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