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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: pass · straw · can · present · calf · game · snap · net

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a match
  5. can — to be able to
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. net — for catching
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pass — to spend time

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