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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: tear · fork · arm · snap · calf · bass · rock · wave

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bass — low music

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