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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 120 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: staff · mug · face · suit · spring · calf · snap · pitcher

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. spring — the season
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spring — a coil
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — to point toward
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — of water

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