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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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