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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · row · roll · chest · calf · current · spring · jam

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. row — a line
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spring — of water
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. snap — to click
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. roll — a cake
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. roll — a list
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — of water
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — happening now
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. row — a quarrel

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