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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: firm · bay · nail · rock · calf · snap · chest · pass

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. rock — music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chest — a box
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. firm — steady
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. firm — a company
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — a stone

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