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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 116 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: lean · straw · calf · perch · wake · rash · snap · cue

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. snap — to click
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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