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

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hide — animal skin

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