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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: dip · calf · pass · snap · wind · game · pound · present

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. present — there
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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