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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: kick · arm · fork · hide · chest · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — in football
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — in a road

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