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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · mine · sharp · wound · file · snap · firm · calf

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to click
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. firm — decided
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — a company
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. firm — steady

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