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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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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 · wave · pitcher · chest · craft

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg

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