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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: file · calf · squash · snap · mark · toast · pass · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. toast — bread
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a document
  20. mark — a trace
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. squash — to crush
  24. file — a line of people

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