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

Word bank: arm · content · rest · hide · calf · degree · craft · chip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — temperature
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. degree — an amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — happy
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chip — to eat

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