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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: pop · bore · craft · calf · kick · bear · snap · clip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to click
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — the animal

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