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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: land · calf · snap · cabinet · bear · toast · bay · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — a country
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. land — to come down
  18. toast — bread
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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