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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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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: press · craft · chest · bank · wave · calf · firm · arm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. firm — a company
  14. craft — boats
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. calf — of the leg

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