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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: spell · snap · calf · fall · board · dip · capital · pound

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pound — a weight
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to click
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — magic
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — a sauce

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