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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: lash · calf · row · toast · deal · snap · wound · pitcher

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — a line
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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