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

Word bank: jam · cabinet · calf · temple · club · chest · tear · snap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for dancing
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. jam — a tight spot

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