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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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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: pound · firm · shower · snap · calf · can · saw · race

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — to be able to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — decided
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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