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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · racket · snap · spring · mug · bore · calf · fine

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — to rob
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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