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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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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: snap · calf · kick · trunk · land · degree · can · rest

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — ground
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. land — a country
  14. kick — in football
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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