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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: game · mug · snap · face · calf · chest · fan · rush

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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